The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Fine after boy injured on flumes
Court: Sport Aberdeen admits health and safety breach at Beach Leisure Centre
“On the day of the incident, we failed to take adequate steps to minimise risk”
A north-east charity has been fined £8,000 after safety failings at Aberdeen’s Beach Leisure Centre led to a young boy being seriously injured.
Sport Aberdeen was given the penalty yesterday after it admitted a health and safety breach which led to 12- year- old Josh Ritchie breaking his leg in two places.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the boy had to have months of physiotherapy after crashing into the “trough” while riding on the Wipeout flume when there was not enough water flowing through it.
Fiscal depute Geoffrey Main said that, on the day of the incident, the pool plant operator was later than normal starting up the three flumes, as shewas dealing with other matters.
As a result, the operator did not realise she had actually closed the water flow valve, rather than open it. When she realised no water was running through the system, she i mmediately went to switch the flow on and called the lifeguards stationed at the flumes to ensure no one used them.
The water had only been flowing for amatter of minutes, so not enough of it had reached the trough to allow riders to slow down when they reached the bottom.
However, those guarding the flumes had noticed water was flowing at the top of them and had already allowed Josh to ride on the slide.
The lifeguard heard the noise of the boy hitting the end of the trough just as he was notified about the problem.
The court heard the charity had since made “significant” changes to the way it runs the system to ensure there would be no repeat of the accident.
Sheriff Peter Hammond said the incident, which happened on August 10, 2011, was “entirely f oreseeable and preventable”.
But he acknowledged that it was a mistake that had never before been made in the 20 years that the pool had been operating.
Last night, Alistair Robertson, chief executive of Sport Aberdeen, said: “This was a deeply regrettable incident and we accept fully the court’s decision.
“On the day of the incident, we failed to take adequate steps to minimise risk, and we are truly sorry that Josh was injured as a result.”
He added: “We have since made significant procedural changes to ensure that this kind of incident can never happen again.”